Spark Melbourne Spring Sunday 2024

Ninety-seven competitors gathered on October 6, 2024, as the Cru+ Coffee Roastery in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia hosted a full day of high-level puzzle solving. Across eight rounds in three distinct categories, the single-day schedule provided relentless action for the local speedcubing community. With sharp turnarounds and intense knockout stages, the tournament tested endurance as much as precision from the opening heats right through to the final podium deciders.

David Epstein delivered the standout performance of the entire weekend, capturing two gold medals across the three contested events. Epstein set the standard in the premier 3x3x3 Cube, recording a winning average of 6.03 seconds alongside a best single of 5.88 seconds to lead a massive field of 94 entrants. His technical consistency across three grueling rounds separated him from the chasing pack, reinforcing his position at the summit of Australian Rubik's Cube solving.

Epstein was equally dominant in the 4x4x4 Cube, outpacing 51 other solvers to secure his second title of the day. He captured top honors with a winning average of 28.89 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 27.55 seconds. Fellow Australian Jaime Fernandes secured second place with an average of 30.59 seconds, while Bruno Vervoort of Belgium rounded out the international podium in third place with an average of 36.18 seconds.

In the 3x3 results, the competition behind Epstein remained fierce throughout the final round. Lennon Hughes clinched second place on the podium with a strong average of 7.03 seconds. Fernandes earned his second medal of the day by taking third place with an average of 8.31 seconds, ensuring that Australian solvers took two of the top three spots in the flagship event of this WCA competition.

The Pyraminx brought explosive times over three full rounds, featuring 64 entrants battling down to a tight finish. Ziqi Ding emerged triumphant, taking the victory with an average of 2.21 seconds and producing a best single solve of 1.60 seconds. Emmet Hobbs secured second place with an average of 2.40 seconds, while Eli Panetta finished closely behind in third position with a mark of 2.53 seconds.

Away from the top of the podium, several solvers achieved massive progress in Melbourne. Blake Bennett entered three events and delivered a Pyraminx personal best of 8.32 seconds, improving by 57.7 percent over an earlier 19.67, while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:44.36. Jay Ficheroux slashed their 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 52.15 seconds, a 57.5 percent reduction from 2:02.69, while also dropping their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 9.53 seconds. Muhammad Zohaib Arsalan Khan posted a Pyraminx personal best of 6.87 seconds, an improvement of 48.1 percent, and completed a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:25.75. Jeffrey Li cut their Pyraminx personal best to 10.02 seconds, moving 43.5 percent faster than their previous mark of 17.75 seconds.

The breakthroughs continued across all experience levels throughout the cubing competition. Luke Cameron achieved a Pyraminx personal best of 4.39 seconds, representing a 42.8 percent improvement, alongside a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:23.11. Jeff Xu took on three events, achieving a best finish of 4th in 3x3x3 Cube while lowering their Pyraminx personal best by 42 percent to 3.94 seconds. Making their official debut, Alexander Jelavic completed three events, recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 14.20 seconds, a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 7.77 seconds, and a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 59.23 seconds. Gabriel Das also tackled three events in their first official appearance, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube in 18.79 seconds and a 4x4x4 Cube mark of 1:43.60.

The final medal tally reflected local strength, with Australian competitors collecting eight of the nine podium positions awarded, while Belgium claimed one. Spark Melbourne Spring Sunday 2024 showcased the depth of modern speed cubing, pairing elite championship milestones with substantial personal progression across every bracket.